One day in November, a product strategist we’ll call Michelle (not her real name), logged into her LinkedIn account and switched her gender to male. She also changed her name to Michael, she told ...

In a world run by computers, there is one algorithm that stands above all the rest. It powers search engines, encrypts your data, guides rockets, runs simulations, and makes the modern digital ...

The original version of this story appeared in Quanta Magazine. Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price.

All of modern mathematics is built on the foundation of set theory, the study of how to organize abstract collections of objects. But in general, research mathematicians don’t need to think about it ...

Why the challenge of truly representative democracy is so complex. Moon Duchin, who leads the University of Chicago’s Data and Democracy Research Initiative, explores how math can help solve ...

Imagine a town with two widget merchants. Customers prefer cheaper widgets, so the merchants must compete to set the lowest price. Unhappy with their meager profits, they meet one night in a ...

I believe that every person has a superpower. Some lead with instinct, others with precision. Some ignite ideas, others build the systems that make those ideas real. The trick — in business, in ...

Picture this: you’ve decided to host a dinner party. The guest list is small but important. You spend the week cleaning the house, polishing the silver, and making sure every detail reflects care. You ...

Researchers have successfully used a quantum algorithm to solve a complex century-old mathematical problem long considered impossible for even the most powerful conventional supercomputers. The ...

Terence Tao, one of the world’s foremost mathematicians, who is often called the “Mozart of Math,” would rather not talk politics. “I do scientific research,” Tao said. “I vote, I sign a petition, but ...

You’re at the checkout screen after an online shopping spree, ready to enter your credit card number. You type it in and instantly see a red error message ...